Daily 2018 Draft Prospect Updates

Oct. 5, 2017

PROSPECT-UPDATE ARCHIVE

There are some people who believe Andrei Svechnikov would be a better No. 1 overall pick than Rasmus Dahlin. It's a tough argument to make, considering how generational Dahlin appears to be, but Svechnikov gave those people some solid ground to stand on Thursday, as his Barrie team beat North Bay at home. He is listed below as one of the top three stars on a night without many games involving prospects. Perhaps this date will be looked back on as the first of many OHL hat tricks for the Russian winger.

As mentioned, only three stars tonight. There were a handful of games in Europe and a total of six in the OHL and QMJHL. Otherwise, everyone was just resting up for a busy weekend that includes the start of the USHL season.:

Stars of the Night

BARRET HAYTON -- Hayton could very well be a first-round pick in June, and he merited that status on Thursday, scoring a goal and assisting on another in Sault Ste. Marie's 4-3 overtime win at Windsor. Hayton notched the first goal of the game at 8:27 of the opening period. He later had the primary assist on a goal that tied the game at 2-2 late in the second period. He now has three goals and two assists in six OHL games.

DMITRI ZAVGORODNY -- Zavgorodny, a Russian who entered the QMJHL this season, is projected by NHL Central Scouting as a second- or third-round pick in June. Second round is more likely, based on his performance Thursday at home against Cape Breton. He had a goal and two assists in Rimouski's 4-1 rout of the Screaming Eagles. He picked up the primary assist on the eventual game-winner for a 2-1 lead at 1:08 of the second period. He also scored an empty-netter at 19:05 of the third. That goal was his first in the QMJHL.

ANDREI SVECHNIKOV -- It's hard to say enough about what Svechnikov did on Thursday, scoring a hat trick on three shots in Barrie's 3-1 win over North Bay. Svechnikov's goals came at 2:21 of the first period for a 1-0 lead, at 12:22 of the first to make it 2-0 (the eventual game-winner), and into an empty net with 15 seconds left in the third. He continued his solid start in the OHL and now has six goals and two assists in six games. (Note: Second appearance on this list in 2017-18)